


Early Stages

by Estirose



Category: Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-07-09
Packaged: 2017-12-18 04:33:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/Estirose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Conner's brother runs into a little trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Early Stages

Hayley practically dropped everything when she heard the scream, rushing out to find out what had happened. Her only employee and busboy, Trent, put his tray down and rushed after her, not knowing that if there was trouble, she'd be able to handle it herself.  
  
At least more or less. If there were Tyrannodrones outside, she was running back in, calling Tommy, and trying to limit the amount of mangled students and/or customers.  
  
When she reached the area around the shop, there was a crowd of curious onlookers, but no indication on what had caused the scream. "You want me to look, Hayley?" Trent offered innocently.  
  
Hayley shook her head, not wanting her busboy to run into trouble. She knew if she did, Anton Mercer, his father, would surely retaliate. "Go back inside, Trent. I'll handle this."  
  
Trent was poised as if to make an agument, but subsided. "Okay, Hayley," he said. "Just... let me know if you need me."  
  
Hayley smiled a little. "I will," she promised.  
  
The busboy went back inside. Hayley pushed through the small crowd to see if she could see what was going on. She nabbed one of her regulars, Trira, who was shuffling around nervously. "What's going on?" she asked.  
  
"Dunno," Trira said. "I heard a scream. Like a guy screaming in terror. But, well, I haven't seen anything. I don't see any bloodstains, though, so I gotta guess that maybe whoever scared whatever off."  
  
Hayley nodded. "Maybe you can get everybody back inside."  
  
The girl's eyes widened. "ME?" she gasped.  
  
Grinning, Hayley nodded. "You can do it."  
  
"Um, okay," Trira said. She raised her voice. "Um, everybody? Hayley's offering free apple juice!"  
  
Hayley grimaced a little at the announcement, glad that she had plenty of it. "That's right. Free apple juice!" she called.  
  
The crowd stampeded around them, returning to the Cyberspace.  
  
"Thanks, Trira," Hayley said. The girl nodded and followed the crowd, leaving her alone to investigate.  
  
"Hey, Hayley, what's going on?" Kira asked, coming up beside her. Ethan and Conner were close behind.  
  
"I heard a scream," Hayley said. "I just got everybody to go to the Cyberspace, and I'm going to check it out."  
  
The trio nodded. "You want us to go with you?" Ethan asked. "We could split up."  
  
Hayley nodded back, the idea appealing to her. "That sounds good," she said. "Let's go."  
  
They wordlessly split into teams, Hayley and Ethan together, Conner and Kira together. She and Ethan went into the alley behind the Cyberspace, and despite everything, she found herself worried.  
  
She and Ethan searched the alley, and the search seemed fruitless. Whoever had screamed, whatever had screamed, surely hadn't made its way back to the alley.  
  
"Conner?" Ethan asked, and she whirled, finding Ethan kneeling by an unconscious form. "No. Eric."  
  
The mention of Conner's twin brother caused Hayley's breath to catch. "But what's he doing *here*?" she wondered out loud.  
  
"I don't know," Ethan said. "Shouldn't we be calling an ambulance or anything?"  
  
Hayley nodded. "Good idea," she said, pulling out her cellphone.  
  
* * *  
  
The four of them, plus Tommy, stood together as the unconscious teenager was wheeled out of the alley. Conner was going to the hospital with Eric, their parents were on the way. Everything had happened so fast.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked their Red Ranger.  
  
Conner shook his head. "He was supposed to meet me here."  
  
It took her a moment to place 'he' as Eric and 'here' as the Cyberspace. "Conner, Eric can defend himself."  
  
"I know, but...." Conner trailed off, looking at his unconscious brother.  
  
"He can." From what little Hayley knew of Conner's brother, he was good enough to get into a Ninja training program. He had to be a decent fighter. It was just that... well, Conner was a Ranger. You were either a Ranger or a civilian; there was no almost there. Sure, there were people who could defend themselves, but it was a peculiar Ranger mentality that caused Rangers to think everybody else was pretty much helpless. Conner, Ethan, and Kira were showing early symptoms of it; a certain Dr. Thomas Oliver had it bad. Even as he was training her for self-defense, she could see it in the back of his eyes.  
  
"I know, he went into Ninja training. But Hayley...."  
  
"Don't 'Hayley' me. Your brother's probably going to be fine."  
  
Conner didn't say anything, but his expression said, quite clearly, "I hope so." She could see the team's leader straining not to ask her to evacuate the Cyberspace, just in case Mesogog had found their hangout, or if Eric's condition was due to something a little more mundane.  
  
The paramedics wheeled Eric into the ambulance, and Conner walked numbly, following them into the ambulance. For a moment, he looked years younger than he was; a moment later, older than he should be.  
  
Kira and Ethan were looking after him, unsure as whether or not they should follow. Hayley looped her arms over both younger Rangers' shoulders. "Come on, let's grab something to drink. I might even have apple juice left."  
  
That earned her a little smile from Tommy, the kind that would have made her melt had the situation been a little less serious. Right now, what she had to do was keep the team together and in one place until they heard from Conner on how Eric was, and what had happened to him.  
  
She sheparded the two young Rangers into the Cyberspace, setting them up at a table. A lot of people had taken advantage of the apple juice, filling up the room, and she could see Trent darting around, serving apple juice.  
  
"Trent," she said, catching the busboy, "How's our apple juice supplies?"  
  
"We're going to need to do a run shortly," Trent reported. "You want me to go now?"  
  
Hayley nodded. "Why don't you?" she asked. "I'll keep an eye on the place."  
  
Trent nodded back, heading out to get some more apple juice.  
  
Once her busboy was gone, she relaxed against her counter. "I hope Eric is all right," she said quietly to Tommy, who was steadying her with his presence. She'd known that being there for a Ranger team might be hard, but she hadn't known exactly what she was in for. It had taken a supreme act of courage to introduce herself to the teenagers, get involved in their lives.  
  
But being there, being able to be around Tommy, was worth it.  
  
Tommy. What would she do if he was injured? She wondered, sometimes, if they were as close as they could be, if he could ever get his mind past his first two girlfriends. And yet... she knew that if she was injured, he'd be at her side in an instant. Caring for her, being there for her. She only hoped she could be the same, knowing that whatever injury might happen, he might not be able to heal.  
  
"Are you okay?" Tommy asked quietly.  
  
Hayley nodded. "I think so."  
  
Tommy enveloped her in a hug. "He'll be all right. They both will."  
  
She nodded again. "I hope so. Conner...."  
  
"He'll be fine," Tommy whispered. "The Gem chose him for a reason, Hayley. Don't doubt yourself."  
  
She gave him a small smile, and he let go. "Thanks," she whispered, gazing at her cafe, and everyone around it.  
  
Let them stay safe. Let nobody be hurt.  
  
It was a maternal feeling, to be sure. She wondered if she, too, was starting to feel like a Ranger felt; that everybody out there was to be protected.  
  
She smiled to herself. Early symptoms. Next, she'd find her own Gem.  
  
* * *  
  
The cafe was nearly empty when she got the call. Ethan was still there, playing aimlessly with one of her laptops and hopefully not causing any havoc. Kira was just as aimlessly strumming her guitar, though whether just out of nervousness or composing her latest epic was up in the air. Trent, Hayley had sent home hours ago, the busboy's shift long ended. Tommy was grading tests and keeping an eye on the others.  
  
When the phone rang, she jumped. "Hayley's Cybercafe," she said.  
  
"Hayley," Conner said over the phone. "He's going to be okay. We don't know what happened, but he's going to be okay."  
  
She let out a breath of relief. "Thank goodness."  
  
Tommy was by her in a flash, taking the phone from her. "Conner? That you?"  
  
Hayley let Tommy talk to his teammate. She was vaguely aware of Ethan and Kira crowding in.  
  
"... He'll be all right? Good," Tommy said, nodding at Ethan and Kira. "I'll tell the others."  
  
Hayley felt like a bowstring about to snap. Even though Conner's brother was okay, nothing was over until the team knew everything was okay. Kind of.  
  
"You take care of yourself, Conner. I mean it." Tommy paused. "Good night."  
  
Tommy put the phone down. "Eric's going to be all right," he announced simply. The implication was clear: Conner was going to be all right, too.  
  
Kira gave him a small smile. Ethan whooped in joy.  
  
"I think we all should be going home now," Tommy said, "I know you guys have homework."  
  
"Aw, man," Ethan muttered. He dragged himself away, picking up his backpack. Kira obediently slogged over to get her guitar case.  
  
"I'll take them home," Tommy said. "You'll be okay?"  
  
"I'll be fine," she replied gently. "I can take care of myself."  
  
Tommy gave her a brief kiss as the younger Rangers exited. "Good," he said. "Or maybe if you want...."  
  
She kissed him back. "I'll be okay. But... some other time?"  
  
"Some other time," he echoed, as he stepped away.  
  
And then he was gone.  
  
-End


End file.
